Electro-optical plasma addressing device with cathodes having discharge, resistive and voltage supplying portions

Abstract

An electro-optical plasma addressing device comprises a first substrate; a set of parallel first electrodes formed on the first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate; a set of parallel second electrodes formed on the second substrate; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates; walls formed on the second electrodes so as to form discharge chambers by partitioning a space formed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrates; and an ionizable gas sealed in the discharge chambers. Each second electrode has a terminal portion, resistive portions connected to the terminal portion, and discharge portions connected respectively to the extremities of the resistive portions, and these portions of the second electrode are formed in a plane. In a modification, the second electrode has a laminate construction consisting of a terminal portion formed on the second substrate, a resistive portion formed on the terminal portion, and discrete discharge portions formed and arranged at a specified pitch on the resistive portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electro-optical plasma addressing device comprising: a first substrate having a plurality of first electrodes arranged substantially in parallel to each other on a major surface thereof;;   a second substrate opposed to the first substrate and having a plurality of second electrodes to define addressing units, each unit comprising an anode and a cathode for selectively ionizing a gas, said second electrodes having at least cathodes comprised of a discharge portion, a voltage supplying portion, and a resistive portion which connects the discharge portion and the voltage supplying portion, said voltage supplying portion and resistive portion being covered with an insulating layer;   an electro-optical material layer positioned between the first and second substrates; and   a discharge chamber formed between the electro-optical material layer and the second substrate.   
     
     
       2. An electro-optical plasma addressing device as claimed in claim 1; wherein said second electrode has a plurality of the discharge portions on the same plane each other, each discharge portion being extended from the voltage supplying portion through the resistive portions. 
     
     
       3. An electro-optical plasma addressing device as claimed in claim 1; wherein said discharge portion is formed on the resistive portion formed on the voltage supplying portion, and is separated on the resistive portion. 
     
     
       4. An electro-optical plasma addressing device as claimed in claim 2; wherein said insulating layer constitutes a barrier rib to define each addressing unit. 
     
     
       5. An electro-optical plasma addressing device as claimed in claim 1; further comprising a dielectric material layer disposed between the electro-optical material layer and the discharge chamber to isolate the electro-optical material layer from the gas. 
     
     
       6. An electro-optical plasma addressing device as claimed in claim 1; wherein said anode has the same configuration as that of the cathode. 
     
     
       7. An electro-optical plasma addressing device as claimed in claim 1; wherein said voltage supplying portion comprises a conductive member having a relatively low resistivity, and said resistive portion comprises a resistive member having a relatively high resistivity. 
     
     
       8. An electro-optical plasma addressing device as claimed in claim 1; wherein said electro-optical material layer comprises a liquid crystal.